Pull-ups are an awesome exercise for 60-year-olds for many reasons.
Not only are they safe and effective, but they can keep your muscles and joints strong and healthy as you get older.
If you are 60, then you may be wondering how many pull-ups you can do.
And that’s exactly what we’re going to answer today.
How Many Pull-Ups Should A 60 Year Old Do? (Short Answer)
If you’re a 60-year-old man, then you should be able to do 1 – 5 pull-ups each set. Whereas if you’re a 60-year-old woman, you should be able to do 1 – 3 pull-ups per set.
This is a rough estimate though and I’m now going to cover why.
How Many Pull-Ups Should A 60 Year Old Do? (Long Answer)
Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to the number of pull-ups a 60-year-old can do.
There are many factors to consider which we’re now going to explore in more detail.
The Type of Pull-Up
There are many types of pull-ups, and some of them, like negative pull-ups and assisted pull-ups, are easier than others.
Harder pull-up variations include ring pull-ups and wide grip pull-ups.
The harder the type of pull-up, the less reps you’ll be able to do.
How Fast You Do Pull-Ups
Another point to think about is the tempo of your pull-ups.
The faster you do pull-ups, the easier they’ll be, and the more reps you’ll be able to do.
(As your muscles are under tension for less time per rep.)
Whereas the slower you do pull-ups, the more challenging they’ll be.
How Long Your Arms Are
Pull-ups are harder with long arms.
This is because the longer your arms, the greater the range of motion, meaning your muscles are under tension for longer each rep.
A 60-year-old with long arms can likely do less pull-ups than a 60-year-old with shorter arms.
Your Bodyweight
You lift pretty much all your total bodyweight during pull-ups.
So, the heavier you weigh, the more weight you have to lift during pull-ups.
If you’re a heavy 60-year-old, then you’ll probably be able to do less pull-ups than a lighter 60-year-old.
How Often You Do Pull-Ups
The saying “practise makes perfect” is true, even when it comes to pull-ups!
The more often you do pull-ups, the stronger your muscles get and the more you can do over time.
If you’re someone who does pull-ups 4 times a week, then you should be able to do more pull-ups than someone who only does them once a week.
Your Gender
Sorry if this offends you ladies, but men typically have more upper body strength than females.
So, a 60-year-old man will (on average) be able to do more pull-ups that a 60-year-old woman.
How Strong You Are
Some people are naturally stronger than others.
If you’re a naturally strong person, then you’ll be able to do more pull-ups than someone who’s naturally weaker.
How Many Pull-Ups Should A 60 Year Old Do A Day?
As covered earlier, a 60-year-old should be able to do 1-5 pull-ups per set depending on whether they’re male or female.
If you’re a male, you should be able to do 2-3 sets of 1-5 pull-ups in a day, which is a total of 2-15 pull-ups.
Whereas if you’re a female, you should be able to do 1-2 sets of 1-3 pull-ups in a day, which is a total of 1-6 pull-ups.
Sources
I’ve been in the fitness and strength training industry for nearly a decade. In that time, I’ve gained 30 pounds of muscle, written hundreds of articles, and reviewed dozens of fitness supplements. As for my educational background, I’m a currently studying for my Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training.